The Misericordia softball team used two strong pitching performances to sweep Eastern, 4-1 and 10-2 (five innings), Thursday afternoon at Eastern.
Misericordia took the opener behind the three-hit pitching of
Bailee Schies who worked around seven walks to earn the win.
Cailey Ware had three hits and
Caitlin Kennedy added two.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
Melissa Parker drew a one-out walk and moved to second on Kennedy's single. After both runners advanced on a fielder's choice, Ware doubled to score Parker.
Parker drew a lead-off walk and Kennedy singled to advance pinch-runner
Jessica Pluta and
Whitney Ellenberg reached on an error to load the bases.
Mackenzie Yurko and
Melanie Quintanilla drew two-out walks to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead and
Abby Marzzacco singled in a run to make it 4-0.
In the second game,
Alissa Steier went the distance, allowing six hits and two runs.
MU jumped on the Eagles early, scoring five runs in the first inning.
First Quintanilla singled, then two batters later
Lori Brennan singled before Parker followed that up with a single of her own to load the bases.
Kennedy walked to drive in a run, Ellenberg singled to score another, Ware walked to drive one inr and then Kestenbaum singled to make it 4-0 before Yurko drove home Ellenburg to make it 5-0.
Eastern got one back in the fourth, but the Cougars would end things in the fifth.
Ware led off with a single, two batters later Yurko drew a walk and then Quintanilla ripped a double over the center fielder to score Ware.
Marzzacco walked, and then Brennan fly out to right field which scored Yurko before Parker ripped a ball to right field to score Quintanilla and Marzzacco.
Kennedy reached on an error and then Ellenberg singled over the shortstop's head to score Parker which left the score at 10-2.
Steier sandwiched two fly outs around one Eagle reaching base by an error, but the next two players singled and walked to load the bases. She got the next batter to fly out to centerfield to end the game after five innings.
Ellenberg went 2-3 with two RBI, Quintanilla went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored while Parker went 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.
MU is now 10-6 on the year and will play at Keystone, Tuesday at 3:30.
